So called boxing experts and promoters alike have been quick to jump at the chance to call Victor Ortiz a quitter and questioned his courage after losing to Marco Maidana on Saturday via six round TKO.

I for one am not one of those people and although I am biased I would like to take this opportunity to defend a fighter who I still think will grow into a great champion in years to come.

Not taking anything away from Maidana this isnt what this article is about and the fact still remains on Saturday 27th June 2009 at the Staples centre, Marcos Maidana came to fight and left the better fighter. ON THE NIGHT.

I have followed Ortiz throughout his professional career since his debut back in June 2004 where he destroyed Raul Montes in one round. Since that time he had only lost once via disqualification before Saturday and in all the time leading up to this fight not once had It even entered my head that Ortiz was a quitter.

NOW CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING SECTION::

Ortíz was born and raised in Garden City, Kansas, as the second of three children of Mexican immigrant parents. At the age of seven, Ortíz's mother abandoned his family for a relationship with another man. Shortly thereafter, Ortíz began boxing at the Garden City Boxing Club at the insistence of his father, an alcoholic who often beat his children following his wife's departure.

When Ortíz was thirteen years old, his father also abandoned the family, and Ortíz and his two siblings were turned over to the Kansas foster care system. However, he continued to box and won a Kansas Golden Gloves championship. After a brief foray into drug dealing as a teenager, Ortíz quit the drug trade when he realized that it could sabotage his boxing aspirations.

After Ortíz's older sister became a legal adult and moved to Denver, Colorado, Ortíz and his younger brother moved in with her. While training at a Salvation Army boxing center, he was noticed by former heavyweight boxing contender Ron Lyle, who had become a supervisor at the center. In 2003, Lyle guided Ortíz to a Junior Olympics tournament, where, at the age of sixteen, he won the 132-pound weight division with a perfect 5-0 record. This time, he was noticed by another former boxer, Roberto Garcia, who had held the IBF super featherweight title during the 1990s and whose father was the trainer of Fernando Vargas.

Though Garcia was based in Oxnard, California, he offered to train Ortiz, who accepted and moved from Colorado to California, where he began training at Oxnard's famous La Colonia Gym. Garcia later became Ortíz's legal guardian, and Ortíz graduated from Pacifica High School. At age seventeen, Ortíz reached the United States Olympic boxing trials in the 132-pound weight class, where he was eliminated in the final stages. (The weight class was instead won by Vicente Escobedo.)

Ortíz turned professional later in 2004 while still only seventeen years of age. When he reached the age of eighteen in 2005 and became a legal adult, he gained custody of his younger brother, who is now a college student. Ortíz continues to reside in Oxnard, California

STILL BELIEVE HE IS A QUITTER?

Now you get an inside view on what this young fighter has had to overcome, First came the loss of his Mother which he had to endure at the young age of seven, then came the beating he was given on a daily basis at the hands of his Father and as if that wasnt enough just six years since his Mother departed his life his father followed her and done the same. Now this would have crushed a lot of strong people but not Victor, because not only did he help raise and put his Brother through college but he has also managed to keep himself out of major trouble and choose the path many believe the hardest which has led him to become one of the best talents in boxing, This was echoed by ESPN in 2008 who named Ortiz their best prospect.

After reading my section above the question still remains. Do you still believe this kid is a quitter or maybe it could be to do with a rare moment of weakness on Ortiz part and the fact he was headlining his first massive card on short notice (due to John v Juarez cancellation) with the occasion and the fans getting inside his head.

Dont get me wrong, I don't think it is right that he got out at that stage and firmly believe he would have taken home the win but every fighter has their moment of weakness and we should let Victor progress before labelling him a quitter. Remember one of the best had a moment of weakness too when the great Roberto Duran declared NO MAS in his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard.

“Everything has been taken away from me, even my parents,” Ortiz stated after Saturday's fight “I’ve tasted dirt, I’ve come from nothing but I will keep trying and I will be back.”

The boxing world is today saddened by the news that Alexis Arguello aged 57 had passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Alexis was known as one of the greatest talents to ever step into a boxing ring and will be sadly missed by his family, friends and fans around the world.

During his time in the professional ranks he racked up a record of 82-8-4 with an incredible 65 knockouts, within that time he joined the elite class of fighters that have held titles in three different weight divisions and joined the greats in the boxing hall of fame in 1992. After boxing Alexis was heavily involved in politics within his beloved Nicaragua and was elected mayor of Managua in 2008.

His Sandinista party's Radio Ya said coroners are conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death but BoxingScene have reported that he may have committed suicide.